Mythological Mondays: Review & Giveaway of PURE by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Mythological Mondays is a feature I created to spotlight books brimming with--you guessed it--mythology! I adore this sub-genre and can't wait to share my love with all of my fellow bookworms! This feature isn't just focused on novel reviews; it may also include interviews, looks at original mythological tales, etc. Please feel free to do this with me! If you guys ever do a mythological feature and want to join this and snag my lovely mermaid, I would LOVE to see the feature. Leave a comment for us all to see! It doesn’t have to be Greek mythology, or even mythology per say. It can be mermaids, unicorns, or heck, even fairy tales (because I’m too lazy to do a separate fairy tale feature…). It doesn’t even have to be every Monday. I’m sure there will be Mondays when I skip, too!

. . . & . . .

A Backwards Story is happy to be a part of Stuck in Books' tour for Jennifer L. Armentrout's just-released novel PURE!  Check out the tour schedule to see the list of events.  Last month, I interviewed Covenant series cover designer Kate Kaynak and series author Jennifer L. Armentrout!  I was lucky enough to schedule my review of PURE to coincide with Mythological Mondays for all you mythology lovers!  Also, drop by the end of this post for a giveaway of HALF-BLOOD and PURE!

O P E N I N G   L I N E:

"I STARE AT THE CEILING OF THE GYMNASIUM, LITTLE black splotches dancing in front of me.  Man, my butt hurt.  No surprise, as I'd landed on it about fifty times already.  The only thing not burning with pain was my face; it was on fire for an entirely different reason."

(pg. 1, US ARC Edition)

Jennifer L. Armentrout's novels are like fine wine:  They only get better with age.  As much as I adored last year's HALF-BLOOD, I love PURE on an even deeper level.  First novels in a series are always about world-building:  They introduce you to the characters, the major conflicts, the history, etc.  They make you fall in love, so when the next novel arrives, it's like coming home after being away for far too long.  I didn't realize just how much I missed Alex until I watched her kick butt (and get her butt kicked!) in PURE.

Do yourself a favor.  If you haven't read HALF-BLOOD, stop reading this review and go read my write-up on the first Covenant novel instead.  Because if you're like me, you hate being spoiled, and if you haven't read HALF-BLOOD...you'll be spoiled if you continue onward!

*Ahem!*  Now that the pink elephant's out of the way...

Armentrout deftly created characters to care about in HALF-BLOOD.  I loved seeing Alex and Aiden together and Seth had me completely on edge.  I'm still rooting for Alex and Aiden to somehow defeat the odds and legally be together, and I still trust Seth as far as I can throw him (Though I also sort of...like him more now?).  When reading HALF-BLOOD, I "guessed" at the big revelation (which I won't mention here for juuuust in case people are still lurking for spoilers despite my warning!), and let me say, I have a theory about where Armentrout is going with this situation.  I cannot wait to read DEITY and APOLLYON to see if I'm right!  For anyone not thrown completely into Armentrout's mythological world the first time around, give the series another try.  PURE delves deeper into the mysteries and hidden agendas of the Covenant.  Alex's journey this time around is dark and scary.  She has a lot to lose and has to be really careful in the back-stabbing world she finds herself in.  I will warn Aiden-lovers that our favorite love interest isn't in PURE as much as he was HALF-BLOOD, but the scenes he does make an appearance in are to be cherished.  Seth is the heavy focal point this time around, and for good reason.  As it gets closer to Alex's all-important, pivotal birthday, Seth will consume a bigger role in her life.

The Covenant Series is completely addicting.  It's to the point where when I saw the author reveal DEITY's summary online this weekend, I squealed and practically jumped through my laptop to get to it!  I'm glad that she's been so prolific to date and has so many novels publishing within the next couple of years.  I'm also eternally grateful that Spencer Hill Pres is releasing the books so close together, because I'm pretty sure that waiting four years to see how the quartet ends would kill me!

C O V E R   D E S I G N:

I've grown really fond of the covers for this series.  At first, I didn't have any strong thoughts one way or the other, but the more I see them, the more I enjoy them, especially after reading the interview responses from Kate Kaynak.  Each flower represents something in particular, which I think is ingenious.  I also like the fact that there are hidden images beyond the initial cover, such as the male model peeping out from the summary when you flip a physical cover of PURE over.  


I'm already loving the cover for DEITY, which is the most revealing yet, and desperate to see APOLLYON after hearing Kate Kaynak and Jennifer L. Armentrout tease about it in the cover interview!

O F F I C I A L   I N F O:

Title: PURE

Author/Illustrator: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Release Date: Out Now [April 03, 2011]

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Received: ARC from Spencer Hill Press for review
(But a purchased copy on the way!)

Goodreads

SUMMARY:

There is need. And then there is Fate...

Being destined to become some kind of supernatural electrical outlet isn't exactly awesome--especially when Alexandria's "other half" is everywhere she goes. Seth's in her training room, outside her classes, and keeps showing up in her bedroom--so not cool. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her nightmares of the tragic showdown with her mother, but it has no effect on what Alex feels for the forbidden, pure-blooded Aiden. Or what he will do--and sacrifice--for her.

When daimons infiltrate the Covenants and attack students, the gods send furies--lesser gods determined to eradicate any threat to the Covenants and to the gods, and that includes the Apollyon... and Alex. And if that and hordes of aether-sucking monsters didn't blow bad enough, a mysterious threat seems willing to do anything to neutralize Seth, even if that means forcing Alex into servitude... or killing her.

When the gods are involved, some decisions can never, ever be undone.

 

Now, it's your turn!

You have THREE chances to win great prizes!

Mocha Latte Reads and Stuck in Books are both offering tour-wide giveaways.  You get an entry every time you comment on someone's tour post.  If you leave a comment for Kate and Jennifer on my interview post, or on today's review, you'll receive an extra entry!

1) Mocha Latte Reads' Giveaway Post

2) Stuck in Books' Giveaway Post

and...I'm offering up my own ARCs of both HALF-BLOOD and PURE for you to win!

3) Enter to win by filling out the following form, located on my interview post from last month's tour stop.  Find it here!!

Contest ends at the tour's end on April 14, 2012!